Sunday Fun Day Giveaway: Mandarano Balsamic Glaze

Happy Sunday! It's been a busy weekend for me and my family and I hope you enjoyed your weekend so far. The weather has cooled down a bit to a more comfortable level so we're having fun taking it in. Although, I'm starting to get the baking bug and I'm planning out my fall recipes now so I can be ready when fall finally arrives. But before we kiss the summer goodbye, I'm doing my best taking advantage of the summer fruits that are currently in season. Speaking of which, strawberries are still on sale at the stores in my area and this week's fun giveaway allows someone to enjoy strawberries in more delicious ways! Last week the lovely folks of California Strawberry Council sponsored the giveaway for their Strawberry Cookbook. A lucky reader will receive this cookbook that's full of some amazing sweet and savory strawberry recipes. A special thanks to the California Strawberry Council for sponsoring. Here's a big Congratulations to the winner of this past week's giveaway! Please shoot me an email at itsjoelen@gmail.com to claim your prize...

Strawberry Cookbook

Winner: Comment #17!

One of my favorite pantry staples is a good quality balsamic vinegar. I admit, I have this crazy love affair with balsamic because I use it so often during the summer months. So what's my favorite use for it? Drizzling balsamic vinegar over fresh sweet strawberries is the first thing I do once strawberries are in season here in the midwest! Other things I like doing with balsamic vinegar is boiling it down to a reduction so that it's thick and sweet - which is also decadent over strawberries. The downside to making a balsamic reduction is that it doesn't yield all that much and it takes a bit of time. However, thanks to Mandarano Balsamic Glaze, I no longer have to spend time waiting for a reduction! Mandarano Balsamic Glaze is an amazing item to keep in the pantry. They had contacted me to try out their balsamic glaze and since I love trying new balsamic vinegars, I was game. The first thing I did naturally was drizzle it over strawberries and wow... complete heaven. Since then, I was sold because I used it in salads and as a finishing touch to grilled chicken. There are so many recipes and uses, I fear I'll run out very soon and will need more to play with! Read on for more information on Mandarano Balsamic Glaze...

Deliciously thick, flavorful and aromatic, you'll find our Balsamic Glaze & Sauce has many of the characteristics of the very expensive aged Balsamics. To have a superior taste quality in a Balsamic Reduction you must start with a premium Balsamic Vinegar - this is what sets Mandarano Balsamic Glaze & Sauce above the rest.

Produced and bottled entirely in Modena, Italy using authentic regional grapes. The recipe, the grapes, the barrels, the limited production – it's the artisan approach to bringing something wonderful to your table.

Professional chefs have long reduced balsamic vinegars (a time-consuming, expensive and not-always-precise process) to create a rich and complex glaze for enhancing cuisine and to use as an elegant garnish. Now effortlessly, you can too!

It's the perfect compliment to almost any food — sweet yet sour; thick, rich and aromatic but not overwhelming — whether you are using it as an aesthetic savory finish, adding it to a salad dressing, using it in a marinade or a sauce base or to garnish your favorite fruits, ice cream or chocolate!

Thanks to my friends at Mandarano, I have one bottle of their amazing Mandarano Balsamic Glaze to giveaway to a lucky reader! Read on for details...

Some guidelines:

- Giveaway is only for those who live in the United States - my apologies to my non-United States readers!

- You must check back in a week when winners are announced and email me to claim your prize if you win.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment answering: 

What's your favorite way to use balsamic vinegar?

Deadline: Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 12 midnight CST.

One winner will be randomly chosen by Random.Org's Interger Generator based on the number of your comment and will be announced on Sunday, August 21, 2011, within next week's Sunday Fun Day Giveaway. Good luck!

Full Disclosure: The giveaways are sponsored by the same company that provided me with the food related product to review. Products I review and offer as a giveaway are ones I personally recommend and would use/enjoy myself and opinions reflected are mine alone.

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FABULOUS EASY ONE-BOWL CHOCOLATE CAKES

AN EMOTIONAL LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE





Shadows amid the starkness of pure black and white, moody and ethereal; mystery fills the empty spaces, statements clear and honest fill in the blanks. Sharp lines drawn across faces and bare torsos like the scratch of a stick pulled across the damp sand, withered and wrinkled, each deep, shadowed crease speaking years of experience; eyes burning out of the glossy surface, admitting so many secrets, hiding so many more. Black melting into gray, something ominous, sinister oozes out of each photo, emotions raw, almost palpable, a persona created from an idea, a vision. Or colors both sharp and hazy at once, rich hues of feminine pink, gold and orange of sunsets and dirt, the blues of skies both limpid and stormy. Colors emotional, sensational, creating a fairytale land of objects both living and not that feed my soul and nourish my imagination, forcing me to feel and think, inspiring me, urging me to create. Breathtaking images of life captured in a moment, a breath, so real in their falseness, portraits not portraits but rather images that reflect a yearning, an emotion, a memory, a dream inside of me.

Louise Bourgeois by Annie Leibovitz, 1997

Annie Leibovitz. We watched Life Through a Lens, the film of this renowned photographer, her life and her work as seen through the eyes of her sister. I, of course, know Annie Leibovitz and her stunning work, have loved it and been in awe of it for years, but I have never really looked at it so closely nor understood it before now. We were immersed in images, her story illustrated by a never-ending continuum of shots, each more moving and breathtaking than the last. She may not have been born with a camera in her hand but she was indeed born with a vision and a gift. As I watched her work, her passion perfectly balanced with a certain nonchalance, her seemingly casual process so intensely thoughtful, I realized that what I reach for, yearn for, grope wildly for is to achieve this same visual effect and emotional impact with my writing. Artists, craftsmen, visionaries such as she are far and few between and mere mortals such as I can only hope, yet to be able to capture in words what she captures on film, to have such a verbal imagery as she has one visual are the stars for which I reach.



I have often tried to explain why I sometimes have such difficulty looking at this painting or that. Standing in the presence of a Van Eyck, a Grünewald, Turner, De Kooning or Pollock, I have felt my heart pounding, jumping and skitting through my body and up into my throat, my breath choked and my mind swept away, dizzyingly. I avert my eyes, turn my back, the depth and complexity too much to bear. The darkness burns inside of me, the searing light blinds, raw emotions claw and tear; the intense beauty of any one of these masterpieces has the power to overwhelm me, and I understand the power true talent wields. And as hard as I try and explain what passes through me, I cannot. It is beyond words.



And I have been entranced by words as well, words strung together one after the other in such a way that it veritably, literally takes my breath away and leaves me speechless. Writing so magical, thoughts and ideas captured so perfectly in sentences that I have had to close the book and place it on the table next to me while the words soaked in, penetrated my mind, my body, the sensation practically physical. It takes a true command of a language, the mastering of vocabulary, the total control of characters and plot, like a painter masters and controls his or her brush, the weight against the canvas, the precise hue of each color, the length and depth of each stroke. Whether witty, humorous or angst-ridden and bleak, words strung together like music, each note, the beat and rhythm laced together just so to create a well-written symphony; music so soul-searingly earnest able to captivate and hypnotize, transport the listener, the reader away to another realm.

Susan Sontag, quai des Grands Augustins, Annie Leibovitz, 2003

Like Annie Leibovitz’ photographs. She tells a story, captures a moment, a thought, an emotion and allows the viewer a glimpse into what she sees. She manipulates our emotions until she has us eating out of the palm of her hand, right where she wants us, experiencing the array of emotions that she has decided she wants us to experience. And we find ourselves reading a story into that one image or series of images that she has pieced together and chosen to tell. She weaves a fairytale with pictures in such a way as I dream of being able to create with my words. A story fleshy, voluptuous, emotions raw and complex, a beauty both light and dark, lined with the wrinkles of time and scarred with my experience. I search for words, just the right ones as I play with and attempt to manipulate how a reader feels. I want to be able to paint a picture in black on white that inspires and excites, disturbs or burns with love and yearning. I want readers to nod their heads and shout, “Yes! Yes! I have been there, I know how you feel!”, tears shed, hearts melting, blood pounding, the heat rising. I want to stir up images of childhood glorious, silly or downright sad. Or elicit torrid passion and fervor. I want to touch someone, anyone, the way her photographs move me.



Out of breath. Skip to kitchen…..





My kitchen experience this weekend was one of chocolate, black on white. Not so much short on time as short on energy, I desired to satisfy a chocolate craving as quickly and as easily as possible. Two one-bowl chocolate cakes, as simple, easy and quick as a fabulous, homemade from-scratch cake can and should be. Baked and served side by side, we, my men and I, tested and tasted both glorious versions: one lighter and fluffier, the other denser and chewy, both offering an intensely luscious chocolate flavor, equally satisfying, equally addictive. Both made with pantry ingredients almost always on hand, both using vegetable oil rather than butter so when the craving hits there is no need to wait for butter to soften to room temperature. One version is eggless so takes the “pantry staple” idea one step further: the ideal cake for either the egg-free diet or for those days when we open up the refrigerator to find…. no eggs on hand.



Frost one or the other with either a Chocolate Ganache or my Simple Chocolate Buttercream. Or dust with powdered sugar.



SPECIAL CHOCOLATE CAKE





My family’s absolute favorite, a light and fluffy texture, always moist with a deep chocolate flavor, this is the perfect chocolate cake when one wants just that: a simple yet intensely flavored chocolate cake. It is ideal either baked in one layer in a 9-inch cake pan and served simply dusted with powdered sugar, the perfect snack or breakfast treat, or, for an elegant, sophisticated dessert, as a smaller 7-inch round layer cake sandwiched with simple buttercream.



6 ounces (1 1/4 cups/175 grams) flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

5 ounces (scant 3/4 cup/150 grams) sugar

½ - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 cup (150 ml) warm milk

2/3 cup (150 ml) vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla



Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Oil and line with parchment paper either one 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan or two 7-inch (18 cm) round cake pans.



Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend. In a separate mixing bowl or a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the warm milk, the oil, eggs and vanilla.



Now it is simply a question of pouring the wet ingredients into the dry and blending well either with a whisk or a wooden spoon, although I prefer using a whisk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. For a smooth, lump-free batter, pour about a quarter of the liquid ingredients into the well, and with small, brisk circular movements, whisk with just enough of the dry until you have a thick, smooth, lump-free batter in the center. Add some more of the liquid, pull in a bit more of the dry, and briskly whisk again until, aha! your batter is smooth. Continue until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated into your (now) lump-free batter, add any remaining liquid and give it a go. Pour this batter into your prepared pan(s) and bake for about 30 minutes (for one 9-inch round pan and depending on your oven) until the center of your cake or layers is just firm to the touch, completely cooked through. The cake should start to pull away from the sides of the pan just after it is removed from the oven. If baking in two 7-inch round pans for layers, the baking time will be closer to 20 minutes.



Remove to racks, let cool for about 10 minutes, then slide a sharp knife blade around the edges to loosen, turn the cake out onto racks, peel off the parchment paper, flip back upright and let cool completely.



EGGLESS “LICKITY SPLIT” CHOCOLATE CAKE

From ideals Hershey’s Chocolate and Cocoa Cookbook, 1982





Much denser than my Special Chocolate Cake, this one-bowl cake has the advantage of being completely eggless, so perfect for either those whose diet does not include eggs or for a day when we are in the mood to bake but discover that, yes, we are out of eggs. Dense to the point of being somewhat chewy, this is a moist, very chocolaty cake that tastes wonderfully like a candy bar. Perfect with or without frosting or ganache and dusted simply with powdered sugar, this chocolate cake is amazingly addictive!



1 ½ cups (210 g) flour

1 cup (200 g) sugar

¼ cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground cinnamon, optional

1 cup (250 ml) water

¼ cup (62 ml) + 2 Tbs vegetable oil

1 Tbs vinegar *

1 tsp vanilla



* I only had cider vinegar in the house and it worked perfectly.



Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with vegetable oil, bottom and sides, then line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.



Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt (and ground cinnamon, if adding) in a large bowl. Combine the water, vegetable oil, vinegar and vanilla. Using the same method as described in the above Special Chocolate Cake recipe to avoid lumps and produce a smooth batter, whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until well blended and smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the center is just set and a tester comes out clean.



Remove from the oven to a rack, let cool for about 10 minutes, then slide a sharp knife blade around the edges to loosen, turn the cake out of the pan, peel off the parchment paper, flip back upright and let cool completely.

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Creamy Peanut Butter Banana Pie... {For Mikey}

The power of cyberspace is amazing. Through cyberspace I've been able to connect with people who I probably would have never have known existed. And through these connections are genuine friendships and camaraderie. A special food blogger, Jennie of In Jennie's Kitchen, recently lost the love of her life, her husband, Mikey. It's devastating for anyone to fathom such a loss in their lives and my thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family. When she shared her loss to her readers, it was with a video of Mikey dancing with her daughter just before he passed away. As a wife and mother, my heart goes out to Jennie. And then Jennie shared a story about Mikey's love of Creamy Peanut Butter Pie...

Mikey loved Creamy Peanut Butter Pie and with this, Jennie invited her readers to celebrate Mikey's life with pie. So in an effort to celebrate Mikey's life, help Jennie with the difficult healing process ahead and to acknowledge  loved ones in our lives, I've made this pie. Jennie also says to, "...share the pie with someone you love.... Then hug them like there's no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on."

For this pie, I made them in mini springform pans for individual servings. I also added diced banana into each pie since I love how well it works with peanut butter.  You can make the recipe in a standard springform pan (9 inch) or even a standard pie plate. Whatever you do, make it with love!

Creamy Peanut Butter Banana Pie
recipe adapted from In Jennie's Kitchen

Serves 10 to 12
10-12 whole graham crackers
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon white sugar
4 ounces finely chopped chocolate or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup creamy-style peanut butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 banana, diced

Add the graham crackers to the bowl of a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs.  Combine melted butter, sugar and crumbs in a small bowl, and stir with a fork to mix well.  Press mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan or 4 small individual springform pans.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.  Pour over bottom of cookie crust and spread to the edges using an off-set spatula.  Place pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.  Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use.  Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a deep bowl.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar.  Add the sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract.

Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth.

Stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the filling mixture.  Fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Remove the pie out of the refrigerator and sprinkle diced bananas over melted chocolate. Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan; refrigerate for three hours or overnight before serving.

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Autism and Cancer Research and Understanding Undergo Similar Paradigm Shifts

Autism research has been marked by an obsession with genetic focused research at the expense of research examining potential environmental causes or triggers of autism.  The frozen "it's gotta be genetic" mindset  of the autism research establishment identified years ago by Teresa Binstock might finally be shattered by recent efforts including the California Autism Twins Study (CATS). It is interesting too to learn that cancer research has also been slowed by a similar obsession with genetic research and ignoring of possible environmental factors.

In Cancer: Belatedly, Environmental Causes Get their Due  Justine Chow and Feifei Li, Research Assistants with the Environmental Working Group, comment on a  recent Duke University study which highlights a dramatic change in thinking among cancer specialists and practicing oncologists who now increasingly see pollution and other environmental factors as causes of cancer:

"For decades, most cancer researchers focused on genetics, diet, smoking and aging populations as the chief culprits, all but dismissing other environmental factors. As recently as 2003, a World Health Organization report featured the conventional wisdom that only 1-to-4 percent of all cancers were due to pollution.

More cancer specialists and oncologists see environmental link

A new report by Duke University researchers highlights the dramatic shift since then among cancer specialists and practicing oncologists. In a paper being published in the September issue of the Journal of Oncology Practice, the Duke team reports on a survey of young oncologists it conducted at the 2010 Australia and Asia Pacific Clinical Oncology Research and Development Workshop.

The Duke researchers found that these specialists from low- to middle-income countries consider pollution and other environmental factors one of the three top reasons for the growing burden of cancer in their countries. Close to a third (32 percent) called environmental factors important contributors, contradicting the traditional reserve that cancer researchers and physicians felt about attributing cancer to environmental causes.

Even though air, water and soil pollution became a major concern during the 20th century, only recently has compelling evidence mounted that carcinogenic chemicals are taking a significant toll on human health. Case studies of water and soil contamination are finding cancer clusters and population-wide epidemiological trends that link pollution to increases in the overall cancer burden, especially in impoverished regions where exposures are often higher than in wealthier nations."

It is likely that the cancer and practicing oncologist world, like the autism world,  will have their own Oracles who will be unable to thaw out their rigid mind sets and consider the interaction of genetics and environment as a more informed model for conducting research and understanding human health issues.  Still it is encouraging to see that the paradigm shift taking place in the world of autism research,  a shift which replaces the purely genetic model with the gene environment model may be reinforced by a similar shift taking place in other areas of human health.

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With a Perfect Storm Approaching for NB Autistic Students Some Tips for Obtaining an Autism Trained Education Assistant

If your child with autism is moving into the school system you may want a trained TA to continue the progress achieved in the pre-school years. If your autistic child is already in the school system and you believe he/she would benefit from the help of an autism trained TA these tips might also help. No matter where you are in New Brunswick whether in Saint John, Moncton, Fredericton, Bathurst Miramichi or Edmundston do not hestitate to email me at AutismRealityNB@gmail.com if you have a question.

I  have been an active member of autism advocacy  organizations in New Brunswick for over a dozen years. I say advocacy because the focus of   efforts I have been involved with have been to obtain effective, evidence based help for children and adults with autism.  I have received no salary or income of any kind for my autism advocacy and I have never sought a pat on the head from government officials (not that they would have wanted to anyway) Mostly I am the father of two boys one of whom is severely  autistic. Like everyone else, I am continually advocating  for a trained Education Assistant to work with my autistic son.  

I once again offer an article I first published in 2006 in the Autism Society New Brunswick newsletter to give parents some ideas to consider in advocating for an Education Assistant for their child. It is offered at a time when I believe it will be increasingly difficult to obtain a quality autism trained Education Assistant to work with a New Brunswick autistic student.

In Conor's case his mother and I have sought Education Assistants with the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program.  This New Brunswick developed program has received recognition from international autism experts like Dr. David Celiberti and Dr. Eric Larsson. Between 500 and 600 TA's as they were then called, were trained at UNB-CEL before the Department of Education in order to reduce costs and increase department control over training of assistants, abandoned the program in favor of a watered down version taught in house without the quality and integrity assurances provided by the UNB-CEL training.  

Whatever you hope for in the Education Assistant working with your child it will be more difficult now with cuts being made this year in the numbers of Education Assistants.  Unfortunately the  new collective agreement entered into between CUPE Local 2745 and the Province of New Brunswick continues the promotion of adult interests, over the interests of children with autism and other disabilities requiring accommodation.  The situation is worse now with the Alward government and its unofficial Education Minister Gordon Porter and his unofficial branch of the Education Department ... the New Brunswick Association for Community Living. 

Despite doing good work in many areas, and making many  positive contributions, Mr. Porter and NBACL have for decades  promoted a mainstream classroom inclusion for all model of inclusive education and have resisted accommodations sought by NB autism advocates.  They have at times resisted with open hostility efforts by autism advocates seeking learning accommodation in separate quieter areas of local schools from autism trained TA's.  Their ideas have changed or modernized very little during the past decades.   

There is currently a review of New Brunswick's inclusive education system being conducted by Mr. Porter and those who have participated in NBACL.  The review will undoubtedly result in a report which confirms their decades old ideology, cuts costs to the Department of Education, and protects the interests of untrained  Education Assistants over the interests of children with autism.  There will probably be fewer and fewer Education Assistants with quality autism training. They will increasingly be pressured to work in mainstream classrooms which will not necessarily be appropriate for some students with autism disorders. Mainstream classroom inclusion will make it less likely a student with autism will receive an EA  with proper autism training and the individual instruction required in some instances. 

These factors will make it very easy for local education authorities to justify, even glorify, cutting proper training and retention of autism trained Education Assistants. There is a perfect storm brewing and parents will have to fight even  harder to ensure their autistic children receive the education services they require. 

Following are some tips I originally posted in an Autism Society New Brunswick newsletter in 2006. They are my advice as a parent (not as legal advice), and as general information.  For those seeking help in obtaining an Education Assistant you may want to give them some consideration. You may also want to seek     assistance from other parents with an autism advocacy background. I did. They were a big help in getting an   Education Assistant  for our  son.

1. Document your child’s condition and school requirements. If your child is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder make sure that the school has a copy of the diagnosis. This may seem obvious but in some cases the school and district have been able to point out that they were unaware of any actual diagnosis of autism disorder.

2. Medical, Psychological or Therapeutic Assessments – If you think your child needs a Teacher's Assistant to learn in the school environment you should ask any pediatrician, psychologist, occupational therapist, speech language therapist or behavioural interventionist who is working with your child if they agree and would provide a written recommendation for a TA and present their recommendations to the school.

3. Be a Parent Advocate – Most parents know their autistic child better than most professionals. Do not be afraid to speak up – politely – but without fear - to express your view of what your child requires.

4. Autism Advocates – If you know an autism advocate or fellow parent of an autistic child who would be willing to attend a meeting with the school you should bring them along. They can provide you with moral support and confirmation of your experiences as a parent in describing what your child requires.

5. Safety – For many autistic children a TA is a must for safety reasons alone and this must be stressed if it is true for your child. An autistic child may not appreciate the many dangers posed by school, playground and nearby streets.

6. Individual Learning Method – If your child requires an individual based learning method using Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) techniques, or other individual based instructions, emphasize this with the school. For ABA in particular there is a great deal of professional literature about the need for one to one instruction for autistic children.

7. IEP or SEP – If the school or district refuse a TA for your child do not sign off on the IEP/SEP for your child unless you agree with that decision. Or if you do sign put a note beside your signature stating that you still require a TA for your child. Otherwise the school and district will argue that you agreed that a TA was not necessary.

8. Appeal – If a TA is denied for your child be ready to appeal right away under the Education Act. The School should have informational pamphlets available and forms explaining the appeal process to you. You might also want to consider hiring a lawyer to work with you on the appeal process.

Conclusion – Preparation, pressure and persistence are all required to obtain and keep a TA for your autistic child. It is a long tough fight and it is one that almost all of us have to go through to one extent or another. Do not overreact emotionally or unduly antagonize school officials. You need their help and most want to help. Getting overheated gives an excuse to the few who do not want to help to refuse what you are looking for. Stay calm and persist.

Harold L Doherty

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Cherry Tarragon Sorbet

Article first published as Cherry Tarragon Sorbet on Blogcritics.

This time of year, cherries are the fruit to get a hold of! I will admit making something with cherries is a challenge for me, considering that I love eating cherries as is. I had to make sure to not to dig into the cherries I bought specifically to make this refreshing Cherry Tarragon Sorbet. When my friend Louise first introduced me to a cherry, tarragon, and carob sorbet she made, I was intrigued. That's when I set out to make a similar sorbet. The results were fantastic and it's a delicious way to combine fresh fruit and herbs into a summer treat...

This sorbet only calls for 5 ingredients. I used fresh cherries for this sorbet and loved the result. Sweet, yet tart and with a slight hint of tarragon. The tarragon gave it a nice herbal touch without being too strong. I was quite surprised how well the tarragon complimented the cherries. The other key ingredient was ground ginger. It added a little depth and balanced the tartness a bit. Who knew fresh herbs and fruit would work so well as a sorbet? I especially liked how this was a perfect palate cleanser after a meal!

Cherry Tarragon Sorbet

recipe from New York Times

1/2 cup sugar
4 cups pitted fresh or frozen cherries
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 13/4 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Pass the cherries through a food mill or puree in a food processor and then pass them through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the solids and place the juice in a large bowl. (You should have about 2 cups.) Whisk in the ginger, tarragon, lemon juice and sugar-water mixture.

Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

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Για μας τα ντορτια και οι διπλές και γιάλλους οι εξάρες.

Τρελό πάρτι για τους συμβούλους

ΔΟΥΛΕΙΕΣ ΜΕ ΦΟΥΝΤΕΣ ΓΙΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΞΕΝΟΥΣ (ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΦΥΣΙΚΑ ΠΡΟΣΩΠΑ) ΔΗΜΙΟΥΡΓΗΣΕ ΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΔΟΞΟ ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑ ΙΔΙΩΤΙΚΟΠΟΙΗΣΕΩΝ, ΕΝΩ ΠΟΛΛΕΣ ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΕΣ ΘΑ ΔΙΠΛΟΠΛΗΡΩΘΟΥΝ Ή ΚΑΙ ΘΑ ΤΡΙΠΛΟΠΛΗΡΩΘΟΥΝ!

Του ΧΡΗΣΤΟΥ ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ ioannou@enet.gr

ΚΑΠΟΤΕ κυριαρχούσε το σύνθημα «Ελλάς, ελλήνων εργολάβων» για το κύμα από υπερτιμολογημένες δουλειές που έδινε το ελληνικό Δημόσιο στον κλάδο των κατασκευών.

Σήμερα, ταιριάζει γάντι στη χώρα μας το σύνθημα «Ελλάς, ελλήνων και ξένων συμβούλων». Αυτό αποτελεί μια πραγματικότητα. Το ελληνικό Δημόσιο υπό την πίεση της τρόικας εξαναγκάζεται να πουλήσει τα πιο πολύτιμα περιουσιακά του στοιχεία, κάτι που δημιουργεί ευκαιρίες για μεγάλες δουλειές σε κάθε λογής συμβούλους, τράπεζες, ελεγκτικές εταιρείες, χρηματοοικονομικούς, τεχνικούς, ειδικούς και νομικούς.

Σχέδιο-μαμούθ

Η χώρα μας έχει κατακλυσθεί από διάφορες ειδικότητες συμβούλων, οι οποίοι προσφέρουν τις υπηρεσίες τους με το αζημίωτο, προκειμένου η κυβέρνηση να φέρει εις πέρας το πρόγραμμα-μαμούθ των αποκρατικοποιήσεων, ύψους 50 δισ. ευρώ μέχρι το 2015. Η υλοποίησή του βέβαια στο σύνολό του θεωρείται ανέφικτη από τους περισσότερους ειδικούς και γι' αυτό τέθηκαν, εκ των υστέρων, ενδιάμεσοι στόχοι: 5 δισ. το 2011, 10 δισ. ευρώ το 2012, 7 δισ. το 2013, 13 δισ. το 2014 και 15 δισ. το 2015.
Το πρόγραμμα πρέπει να αρχίσει να υλοποιείται με γρήγορο ρυθμό, γιατί αποτελεί μέρος της νέας συμφωνίας διάσωσης της χώρας, όπως φροντίζει διαρκώς να υπενθυμίζει η καγκελάριος της Γερμανίας Αγκελα Μέρκελ.
Η διυπουργική επιτροπή αποκρατικοποιήσεων έχει ήδη προσλάβει περίπου 40 συμβούλους για την αποκρατικοποίηση 20 εταιρειών. Μέχρι τέλος Αυγούστου αναμένεται να οριστούν άλλοι 13 σύμβουλοι (η αναζήτησή τους και το έργο που θα αναλάβουν έχουν ήδη ανακοινωθεί από τη Γενική Γραμματεία Αποκρατικοποιήσεων που κάνει όλη τη δουλειά), οι οποίοι μαζί με τους προηγούμενους θα αναλάβουν να πραγματοποιήσουν το βασικό στόχο του Δημοσίου, που είναι η άντληση 5 δισ. ευρώ μέχρι τέλος του έτους (σημειώνουμε πως η αναζήτηση συμβούλων θα συνεχιστεί και μετά για άλλες δουλειές αποκρατικοποιήσεων, οι οποίες όμως δεν βρίσκονται στην πρώτη προτεραιότητα της κυβέρνησης).

Με άλλα λόγια, λεφτά υπάρχουν (όπως είχε πει και ο πρωθυπουργός, όταν ήταν στην αντιπολίτευση) για έναν κλάδο που ζει καλές ημέρες, κόντρα στην ύφεση της οικονομίας και την ανεργία που μαστίζει τη χώρα. Η Ελλάδα φαίνεται να έχει καταστεί ο μεγαλύτερος εργοδότης του κλάδου των συμβουλευτικών εταιρειών αυτή την περίοδο στην Ευρώπη, συντηρώντας μερικώς ή ολικώς ακόμα και ολόκληρα τμήματα ιδιωτικών συμβούλων.
Παραδείγματα προς αποφυγήν

Ομως αρκετές από τις υπηρεσίες των συμβούλων είναι διπλοπληρωμένες και τριπλοπληρωμένες. Κάποιες συμβουλευτικές εργασίες για αποκρατικοποιήσεις έχουν πληρωθεί στο παρελθόν, αλλά οι συγκεκριμένες περιπτώσεις δεν ολοκληρώθηκαν, δηλαδή δεν έγινε η συναλλαγή πώλησης του περιουσιακού στοιχείου. Για παράδειγμα, η διαδικασία αποκρατικοποίησης των Ελληνικών Ταχυδρομείων έχει επαναληφθεί στο παρελθόν. Ομως δεν έγινε η πώληση της εταιρείας, παρότι υπήρξαν ενδιαφερόμενοι.
Επίσης, ο διαγωνισμός για την πώληση μέρους της ΕΥΑΘ ήταν στην τελική ευθεία από την προηγούμενη κυβέρνηση της Νέας Δημοκρατίας. Είχαν μάλιστα εκδηλώσει επισήμως το ενδιαφέρον για την αγορά (του προς πώληση ποσοστού της ΕΥΑΘ, που τότε είχε ορίσει η κυβέρνηση στο 23%) τέσσερις κοινοπραξίες επενδυτών. Ομως, όταν η σημερινή κυβέρνηση κέρδισε τις εκλογές του 2009 πάγωσε τη διαδικασία γιατί θεωρούσε την πώληση των εταιρειών υδάτινων πόρων ανεπίτρεπτη πολιτική ενέργεια (τι υποκρισία!).
Παράλληλα με τις αναθέσεις από την πλευρά του υπουργείου, οι υπό αποκρατικοποίηση εταιρείες προσλαμβάνουν δικούς τους συμβούλους για την ίδια δουλειά. Για παράδειγμα, το Δημόσιο προσέλαβε σύμβουλο για την επέκταση της σύμβασης του μονοπωλίου με τον ΟΠΑΠ για δέκα επιπλέον χρόνια. Η σύμβαση λήγει το 2020 και η κυβέρνηση θέλει να ανανεωθεί, από τώρα, μέχρι το 2030. Ο ΟΠΑΠ έχει επίσης πάρει σύμβουλο για το ίδιο έργο. Αυτό γίνεται γιατί η διοίκηση πρέπει να δικαιολογήσει τυχόν αποφάσεις επί του συγκεκριμένου σχεδίου προς τους μετόχους του οργανισμού. Βέβαια, ο βασικότερος μέτοχος του οργανισμού είναι το ελληνικό Δημόσιο με 34%, το οποίο και ορίζει το management. Τα λεφτά όμως διπλο-πληρώνονται.

Τέλος, έχουν οριστεί πολλαπλοί σύμβουλοι για εργασίες που αφορούν διεργασίες αποκρατικοποίησης στον ίδιο κλάδο, των τυχερών παιχνιδιών. Ομως άλλος σύμβουλος έχει τοποθετηθεί για τον ΟΔΙΕ, άλλος για τον ΟΠΑΠ, άλλος για τα κρατικά λαχεία και το Ξυστό, άλλος για την πώληση του 49% του καζίνου της Πάρνηθας. Από την πλευρά του το υπουργείο επέλεξε να μοιράσει αντικείμενο του κλάδου σε περισσότερους ειδικούς γιατί είναι μεγάλο σε όγκο, πολύπλοκο και καθένας υπο-κλάδος έχει ιδιαιτερότητες, νομικές, οικονομικές και κυρίως δυσκολίες προσαρμογής στο κοινοτικό δίκαιο και τους όρους του υγιούς ανταγωνισμού (όπως αποδείχθηκε με το υπό ψήφιση νομοσχέδιο για τη ρύθμιση της αγοράς τυχερών παιχνιδιών).

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